Cuddler
by Kin-cy29
Summary: He didn't know that Gaara was a cuddler. Shikamaru himself was no cuddler, it's too troublesome.


I always have a soft spot for Gaara(yup, always) so why not pair him with my favourite nin(also my deer son, oops pun intended.) So hope you enjoy!

P. 'll be Gaara's POV on this one and it's onesi-whoops.

* * *

He had no idea that the Kazekage was a _cuddler_ , to be more specific, he didn't know that _Gaara_ was a cuddler.

Shikamaru himself was no cuddler, it's too troublesome. Why? Because he hated when it was hot at night and couldn't sleep when the heat lingered on his skin. Not to mention when there were arms wrapped around him in his vulnerable state, such as sleeping, when his guard was down to minimum.

And here he was, _sleeping soundly_ in the arms of the so called cuddler.

* * *

The first time something similar happened, it was a friendly hug.

It was that time Shikamaru visited Suna as an ambassador of Konoha to attend a monthly meeting with the council there, once it was all over, the Kazekage and the crew walked him to the main gate for his departure back to Konoha.

After saying their good byes, it was Temari who hugged him first, then Kankuro and last, he turned to the Kazekage, normally it would be a nod or a handshake but this time when Temari patted her brother's back, Gaara pulled him into a hug. Not a bear hug like Temari or Kankuro, more like arms wrapped around him tenderly, he then wrapped his arms around the slightly shorter man in return. They pulled apart after that for a while, and he swore he could see a glint of happiness in those pale green eyes.

Shikamaru waved that thought away then proceeded his journey back to Konoha.

* * *

The first time it happened was in Konoha when Gaara visited.

It was a business trip, something to discuss with the Sixth Hokage. As an ambassador, Shikamaru was in charge of taking care of the guests from Suna, namely the Sand Siblings. He got an order from the Hokage that the guests would rather stay at the Nara compound than the hotel the Hokage had booked. Shikamaru sighed at the troublesome request but bowed and led them to his home anyway.

"This way is Gaara and Kankuro's room, the opposite of Kankuro's is your room, Temari." He showed the siblings their rooms and added. "My room is that way down the corridor, the last room there, it would be troublesome but if there is anything, go ahead and knock. Maybe try calling me too. Good night then" They nodded then the four of them separated.

 _Knock Knock_

Shikamaru who was sleeping peacefully turned a bit when he heard a soft knock but didn't decide to get up. He used his pillow to cover his ears like when his mom woke him then sigh contentedly when the knock was gone. Until someone called his name.

"Shikamaru" Said person groaned but dragged himself off before opened the door while yawning. He looked at his visitor and raised his brow a bit when he saw Gaara, whom he expected to be least problematic.

"Is there anything I can help you in the middle of the night, Gaara?" He knew that was a bad manner as a host and his mom would hit him if she heard it, but he couldn't help it, this sleep was the first real sleep he had had in like...well 5 days.

When the other man didn't answer, and he was too sleepy to bother asking again, Shikamaru began to fall asleep. But then the other tugged his yukata softly and asked him.

"Can I sleep with you?" The sleepy man was wide awake for a second at the request and stared at the man before him like he had grown a third arm.

"What? Why?" Gaara looked into his eyes saying that he was dead serious.

"I'm not familiar with this house yet and when we travel, I normally sleep in the same room as my siblings."

"And why don't you knock on your siblings' rooms then?" There, Gaara looked down at the floor as if talking to it.

"…It…Last time it was the Chuunin exam…and…no I'd rather not."

"And you decided to knock on my door?" The other man looked up again and spoke with his Kazekage voice.

"You are a good friend of mine, and you said if there is anything, knock." It was true, after the war ended they had grown a lot closer, still Shikamaru sighed kind of regretted of his words but moved and let the other man in anyway. Gaara walked past him to his futon then sit down. Shikamaru followed and lied down on his futon, too tired to think or say anything.

"Thank you, Shikamaru." He hummed to respond then drifted into his sleep.

Once he was conscious again, he found an arm swung across his waist and felt a body pressed with his own. His eyes shot wide but his body froze, dared not to move and woke the other man. Shikamaru could feel a soft breath against his ear and tried his best to lift the arm off of his body, but how could it be so hard to do so!

He sensed the sleeping man groaned lowly and pulled him in closer. The host sighed in defeat, _Troublesome,_ lucky for Gaara he had quite a cold body or else he would be much much more frustrated and mercilessly yanked the man's arm off. Shikamaru thought and started to drifted off to sleeping again, and no, he was not going to wake up easily.

But it seemed like fate was not in his side, not this time. He felt someone was shaking his body and called his name, when the sleepy man tried to reach for his pillow, it was pulled away. Shikamaru hissed annoyingly but refused to open his eyes and slept it off, but he felt arms wrapped around him and pulled him into a sitting position. Shikamaru grumbled under his breath and cracked his eyes opened.

Gaara was sitting beside him in his usual uniform and arms still around the sleepy man's body, the red-haired man sighed then released his arms. Shikamaru yawned and rubbed his eyes tiredly before shot the man a questioning look.

"Dind't know you are so hard to wake."

"Didn't know you are a cuddler." Gaara looked the other way when he heard that and the other man began to stretch and yawned again. "Besides, it was my first sleep in 5 days, you know. Before, _someone_ decided to disturb my peaceful slumber." Said _someone_ got up on his feet and left the other man alone in his own room.

"We'll head to the tower and the Hokage wants you to be there too, so get dress."

 _Troublesome..._

* * *

The second time was when he was sent to Suna.

The sixth Hokage decided to send Shikamru to stay at Suna as Konoha ambassador and Kazekage's personal advisor not long after their last visit. For two village to grew closer than it had been before, Temari and Kankuro accompanied him from Konoha once he said his good byes to his village and appointed the clan's Head position to one of his cousins.

He wasn't upset or anything, it was his duty after all, and it wasn't like it was against his will or Shikamaru wasn't close with the Sand Siblings. Still, he did miss his village, he missed his favourite cloud-gazing spot, the Nara forest, his family, his friends there. But the people here were very kind to him, also Temari and Kankuro had kept him company for most of the time. But he couldn't help it and miss that troublesome Konoha anyway.

One night, Shikamaru was staring at the starry sky through the window in his room in the Kazekage compound, trying to sleep but the home sick hit him hard and he couldn't sleep, no matter how hard he tried, it had been like this for days now and it became irritating. The dark-haired man heard a soft knock on his door and he swung his legs off his bed then proceeded to the door quickly before opened it. Gaara who was standing in front of his room looked at him and crooked his head a little like he was surprised.

"You are quick."

"Can't sleep." Gaara nodded then walked to his bed, Shikamaru followed with no idea in his genius mind what the other was going to do. "What are you doing?"

"Sleeping." The man on his bed lied down and pulled a cover over himself, stared back at him.

"I believe your room is not here." Though, Shikamaru didn't know why but his body had moved itself to be under the cover facing another man who wrapped both arms around him tenderly like the hug he had given him months ago. And Shikamaru didn't mind that therefore surprised to himself, he moved closer to the man.

"Sleep, I need my advisor at his fullest for tomorrow's meeting." The other man moved one arm up and ran his fingers through the dark hair, soothing the man before him.

"If you say so, Kazekage-sama." He mumbled jokingly and got a chuckle in return. With that and fingers stroked his hair, an arm wrapped around him, a home sick began to fade away replaced by peace and sleepiness. Shikamaru began to fall asleep in the cuddler's arm.

Maybe _cuddling_ wasn't that bad at all, and he thinks there will be many times _more_.


End file.
